10 Best Singles From The Golden Age Of Punk
1. God Save The Queen - The Sex Pistols
No surprises for the number one slot. How could it be anyone other than The Pistols? The band that started it all in the UK, and whose gigs launched a hundred new bands every time they played. The choice of song was a little harder. Whilst 'Anarchy In The UK', might have seemed the obvious pick, it wasn't challenging the status quo in anything like the way that 'God Save The Queen' did.
It will be hard for anyone who wasn't there when 'God Save The Queen' was released to grasp quite how outraged the mainstream press and Mr & Mrs Joe Public were by the audacity of unleashing such vitriol in the Queen's jubilee year. There is no definitive proof, but plenty of suspicion, that the official BBC charts were rigged to keep it off the number one spot.
Even now it still has the power to metaphorically slap you around the face and say 'wake up'! A great message is nothing without a great song; fortunately 'God Save' is a full on rock classic, with Johnny Rotten's unique vocal grabbing you and shaking you by the throat whilst Steve Jones' wall of guitars pummels you in the face. A song that will never sound dated - the true punk national anthem.